Monthly Archives: December 2009

Rose latish. Col. Bowen at breakfast. Went to 9 Condotti, & to Macbeans: Malta steamer not in yet. Returned to N°. 9 ― lo! the Saturday Review, & a letter from poor George, who has come from Brindisi, & has been ill 6 days, & is now at Naples, not being able to come on for want of money! ― So I went again to Macbeans, & sent him 30 dollars, by Telegraph, & hope he got them & will come on very soon. ―

Called on Terry ― & then to 9 Condotti where I unpacked all day long. ― & got carpets down. ― At 4 walked a little with Williams. At 6 Table d’hôte, ―: I sate next a Mr. Tyrwhitt ― of C. Church Coll. Oxford ― with whom I talked a good deal.

Slept hardly at all ― & woke unwell. Breakfast & Col. Bowen. After calling at the Post, where both Ancôna diligences had come in & no George ― I came to Macbean & drew £50. & then to 9 v. Condotti, where I remained unpacking all the afternoon ― & having carpets put down, & wood brought up. At 4 it began to pour with rain, & I found that torrents came in to the kitchen, ― so I was, as might be, enraged. ― I called on the Stansfelds then ― & saw both of them: really very pleasant & kind. Then I came to the Angleterre. ― Ἐνδύμενος, i.e. having dressed, or rather half dressed, I walked up all the Barberini stairs, to leave a note at Storeys ― & then to the Knights, Charles & Helen only ― & it was pleasant enough; afterwards, poor Isabella ― [gr.]: ― how strange & sad a life! I came away at 10½. ― No signs of Γεώργιος yet.

Rose at 8. ― The long breakfast room ―: sate next the Forsters. ― Called at 9 Condotti ― of course no George as yet. ― Then on Miss Cushman, ― out. ― On the Storeys ― he out, she “did not receive.” ― Knights; & sate some time with Charles. ― Caldwells ― with Mr. C. ― B. Mathews ― but both these were furiously Papistical & ridiculous to a fearful degree. ― Macbeans, ― seeing Col. & Mrs. Gordon. ― By then it was 2 ― & I went to P. Williams ― (where was a brother of Sir W. Parish.) ― & then walked out to P. Pia with P.W. ― Our walk was entertaining ― & the Campagna beautiful. Returning we met Dessoulany. ― ― ―

At 6 Dined at the Table d’hôte ― always very disagreeable. Sate between a Russian, & an Uncle of Mrs. Macbean. ―

But all this of course bored me horridly. ―

Tomorrow I hope to get carpets down ― &c. &c. so to wait for poor Giorgio coming more patiently.

At 6 up: all bright starlight ― but fading. At 7½ we were in the old C.V. Harbour. ― What fuss & hurry to get to the Inn & Douane! The Douaniers were very decent in themselves; ― but then the misery of those “bolle” & “carte”! ― So, at 10 we were off by the “Buss.” ‘we,’ being Mr. & Mrs. Forster, formerly Miss Earle. ― Then was fresh fuss at the Station ― Passports, luggage &c. At length, 10¾, off: ― very lonely day: stations: Tiber, all overflown, & mountains lovely. At “Rome” by 1. ― Is it possible to believe that not a bit of my luggage had come? ― So it was. ― Great rage: ― fuss: ― bother. Capo stazione, & telegrafo to C. Vecchia. Then, carratelle to Via Condotti.

Left them, & called on P. Williams: ― al solito. & his picture. ― Poi, on Macbean. ―― saw Bessie B. Mathew: tried to buy a hat, but couldn’t ―:― then took my Railway bag & to Hotel d’Angleterre, & walked on the queer Pincian, childish fussy burlesque ――: & saw the Forsters: & Pantaleone. ― [gr.] very quacky, but I may be wrong. ― Came home to the Inn: dressed & washed, but had no other dress. Dined at the Table d’Hôte: ― a pleasantish American woman next me: ― Opposite was one “Col. Bowen” long ago known in Roman days ― con chi I spoke afterwards. Later, took coffee in another room, where were some other folk: & meanwhile “gli effetti suoi sono venuti.” & I found my lost things in my room.

Yet how I wish poor Giorgio were here! I hear that the Ancôna diligences are delayed, ― 2 being wanting: so he may possibly turn up.

At 10, I resolved to wash, & get out of the infernal Hole=cabin: ― so I did & went up on deck. The waves are really a wonderful sight! ― deep blue=black, with [silen] crests ― valley-making, gulfing ― vast, forcible, opal=vitriol hued above, solemn inky below, ― gull=abounding ― ever-moving ―― terrible. But I lay & held on ― as the vessel swooped & circled. ― No rest: no good: & so day went on, till, towards sunset, the dismay=wave=chase seemed to lull, ― & then came the golden sunset, calm, & with one long purple, orange[-]lighted cloud above, & many a golden flecked streak at the water edge ― the sun going down one full orb of sublimity ―: above the delicate new moon, & one star. ― Followed then a vast swell of sea, making the voyage nearly as troublous as before, tho’ wind was gone. But, about 7 or 8, after we passed the Corsica Faro, the sea became calm, & I went down & soon fell asleep in the Saloon.

The Chisholm went away. ― I, at 12 ― took a “billet” in the Quirinale. ― & then walked round the new port. Very fine day, but far more wind than I like, & sea too. ― Returned at 2 & packed up. ― Dined solo at 4. A Russian Prince ― Tradbetsky & an English gent & lady at the table d’hôte: the latter I seem to have seen before. ― At 7 I took a fiacre & came to the “Quirinale.” ― Berth at end of the Steamer & very horrid. ― But the wind is high & dreadful to look onward to, so at 10, I went to bed. O! Lord! how I repented doing so at 10½ ― by wheel we had left the harbour. Bowels, stomach, toes, mind, liver, ―― all mixed together, it does not seem to me that actual death can be more horrible! ― All became dark & terrific alas! ― as I counted those dreadful moments hour after hour till the light went out. ― The shrieks & hysterics & vomitings all round were most fearful, as the wind increased & the sea was fearful.

Suffered from heat & cramps at first but wore thro’ the night to Dijon at 2½, & at Lyons by 6½. After that the weather cleared, & I read & looked out of windows at the mountains beyond [Valence]. At 12 Avignon, & that surprising monument of generous Variety, the breakfast. All the better for it, & afterward for the olives & rocks. But the afternoon clouded & became wet. At Marseilles by 3½. No bother with luggage. Came to Hotel Bristol, washed & dressed by 5. ― Table d’hôte dinner tolerable. ― 2 sets of English, & a very nice fellow, one Dr. Chisholm ― from India. Came to bed at 9 & slept well.